Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan. 6: The Param Vir Sagar Yatra, undertaken by core team of 20 NCC cadets of the of Andaman & Nicobar Islands NCC, was ceremonially flagged off today from the historic Flag Point, Sri Vijaya Puram. The expedition was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC). The expedition team will now set sail to visit the balance 9 Islands onboard another Naval warship of ANC. The team will subsequently proceed to New Delhi, where the yatra will be flagged in by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the cadets will present the ‘Param Vir Mati Kalash,’ containing soil from these Islands, to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of Rear Admiral Biplab Hota, VSM, Chief of Staff, HQ ANC, Commodore S. Ragav, Deputy Director General, HQ NCC Directorate Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, senior military officers of ANC, civil dignitaries and over 600 students including NCC Cadets, cadets from the Navy’s Sea Cadet Corps and Bharat Scouts and Guides
The Param Vir Sagar Yatra is a unique sailing expedition in which NCC cadets from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands voyage aboard Indian Naval ship to 21 uninhabited islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees, paying tribute to the nation’s bravest soldiers. During the first leg of the expedition, conducted from Dec. 17 to 20, 20 cadets visited 12 such Islands. The event was successfully conducted by the team of 1 (AN) Naval Unit NCC, Sri Vijaya Puram, under the guidance of Colonel T Hariteja, Group Commander, Chennai ‘A’ & Lieutenant Commander Reyaz Farooq, Commanding Officer, 1 (AN) Naval Unit NCC.